Hi! I’m new to raising Axolotl, and have had my first Axolotl for about a month and a half. Lately he’s been floating at the top of the tank, for a few days, seemingly unable to float to the bottom. I put him in the fridge for the past couple days and nothing seems to have changed. Am I doing this right? Does it just take him a little while to return to normal? Should I feed him while he’s in the fridge? He’s a very young Axolotl, very small.
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Axolotls are illegal in California. Please read this thread for detailed information and links to the actual laws: https://www.caudata.org/threads/axolotls-are-illegal-in-california-here-are-the-relevant-laws.30779/
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Axolotl Constantly Floating, Sometimes Upside Down
- Thread starter Jedijunky
- Start date
Have you noticed if it has pooped recently? How often and what does it eat? What temperature is the water? Photos and/or videos can help as well if you have some. I have read that juveniles do tend to float more often than adults but you do want to rule anything bad out.
He hasn’t pooped recently, it eats frozen bloodworms every other day, about 1/4 a cube, water temperature is in the low 60s
It could be gas or constipation then. Keep the temperatures nice and low. You can lower water depth if you want but you don't have to. Do you notice if he gulps or eats at the surface much? They can take in lots of gas this way which causes floating.
Hi ! In the interest of not starting a new thread, my axie is floaty too! I've got her tubbed with the depth low enough so she can touch the bottom but it's been three days, no excessive gulping and a little bit of poo. Water temp 70 ammonia .2ppm nitrite 0 nitrate <5 ph 8 I use the zoomed turtle canister I have a bare bottom 30 gallon tank I do 5gal water changes every day. Advice?
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Murk
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I'd say the first question is: can the axolotl get down? Is she floating comfortably, or does she seem unbalanced, stressed out?
If she's just cruising along comfortably and can get down if she'd want to (you can test it by holding some food at the bottom of the tank), there's not necessarily a problem. Some axolotls are just weird and like to float.
If she can't get down, or seems unhappy to be floating, there is a problem.
Your water parameters seem fine. Does the axolotl look bloated? Is there anything in the tank that could have caused an obstruction (sand, gravel, plants)?
Does she show any other signs of stress? Water changes every single day seems a tad much, could it be that she's just generally stressed?
If she's just cruising along comfortably and can get down if she'd want to (you can test it by holding some food at the bottom of the tank), there's not necessarily a problem. Some axolotls are just weird and like to float.
If she can't get down, or seems unhappy to be floating, there is a problem.
Your water parameters seem fine. Does the axolotl look bloated? Is there anything in the tank that could have caused an obstruction (sand, gravel, plants)?
Does she show any other signs of stress? Water changes every single day seems a tad much, could it be that she's just generally stressed?
Animalperson100
New member
One of my axolotls was quite floaty for a while. I would fridge her and she'd get better, then start floating again. Sometimes axolotls just like to gulp air and float around, but this one would get stuck on the top and sometimes get stuck sideways or upside down. I ended up fridging her a bit longer after numerous relapses into sideways floating. Once she stopped floating and was upright again, I slowly added more water to the container she was in but kept her in the fridge, adding a bit of water every day. Somehow being fridged and able to swim to the top or bottom helped her "figure it out" and she hasn't had floating issues since.
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Shane douglas:with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??+1
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Thorninmyside:Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation+1
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Clareclare:
Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus...
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